Oswald: Chance and Change
by AquaMermaid6
Summary: A 'what if' story about what if Walt had sued Universal and gotten Oswald back in the 1930s? Oswald returns home with him only to find out that Walt now has another 'son' who has become a big star in the time Oswald has been away. Oswald now has to learn to adjust to this new lifestyle...or will he?
1. Surprises

**A/N: **This is a 'what if' story about what if Walt had sued Universal and gotten Oswald back in the 1930s? Oswald returns home with him only to find out that Walt now has another 'son' who has become a big star in the time Oswald has been away. Oswald now has to learn to adjust to this new lifestyle...or will he?

This story is based off a RP I did with my friend Jacksrose over at deviantART, where she plays the roles of Walt and Mickey and I play the roles of Oswald and Lilly, so I have her to thank for that because this story wouldn't have been possible without her. However, I am doing all the writing for this story version. This story is also posted on my dA account there Aqua-Melody101. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Oswald: Chance and Change**

_Chapter 1: Surprises_

The front door opened as Lillian Disney entered the household with the morning's mail and newspaper in hand. She then proceeded to the kitchen, setting them on the kitchen table before getting out the ingredients she would need to start breakfast. She began mixing the ingredients together before pouring the batter onto the hot pan.

Within minutes, the pitter-patter of feet could be heard coming down the stairs. A small, black and white toon mouse poked his head around the corner, following the delicious smell of fresh pancakes cooking.

"Hi, Mom!" he greeted her, walking into the kitchen. She looked up from her cooking with a gentle smile.

"Good morning, Mickey! Sleep well?"

"Yeah," Mickey responded with a yawn, stretching as he went to wait at the table. A short while later, Walt walked into the kitchen as well.

"Good morning, Lilly," he said.

"Good morning, Honey," Lilly said, looking up again with a smile, as she went over and pecked him on the cheek before returning to her cooking. Walt smiled, then sat down at the kitchen table, sipping some coffee as he began reading the daily paper. A short while later, Lilly set a plate of pancakes down in the center of the table.

"Get 'em while they're hot!"

"Oh boy!" Mickey exclaimed in childish delight, eagerly grabbing some to put on his plate and drenching them in maple syrup.

Lilly giggled at him as she took her place at the table and put some pancakes on her own plate. Walt set down his paper and began his breakfast as well.

"These are wonderful, Lillian. You always make them the best."

"Oh, it's nothing special, Dear, but thank you," Lilly replied with a soft giggle.

Then there was silence for a while as everyone was eating. Walt finished first and began to go through his mail.

"So, any plans for today?" said Lilly, in an attempt to break the silence.

Walt, who seemed particularly focused on reading a letter of his, didn't answer her. He sat there in silence, then his eyes suddenly began to widen.

"Honey? Is something wrong?" Lilly asked in concern.

"Lilly, I won my case!" Walt suddenly exclaimed in excitement.

"Huh? What case?" asked Mickey in confusion.

"Really? You mean..." Lilly gasped in surprise, realization of what he meant dawning on her, "Oh, Honey!" she exclaimed, springing up from her seat, tears of joy filling her eyes as she ran over and hugged him. Walt hugged her back, a huge smile on his face.

"What's going on?" asked Mickey, completely bewildered.

"Mickey, I'm bringing home a big surprise for you," Walt answered.

"Really, for me?" exclaimed Mickey, excitedly.

"Yes, Honey," said Lilly with a smile, wiping her tears.

"I will be back," Walt said, giving Lilly a quick kiss on the cheek before he headed out and got in his car.

* * *

"Hmmph! I'll show HIM who's a 'bad actor'!"

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit sat in one of the planning rooms of Universal, throwing a rubber ball back and forth against the wall in order to help vent his anger and frustration. He was at the end of his rope. It had been at least 5 or 7 years (he had lost count) since his creator and "father" had abandoned him and left him here to suffer with these jerks.

For a time, Oswald had been so sure that Walt loved him and would never let anything happen to him and would always been there for him. But as the years passed, it became obvious that he had been wrong, as Walt had left him here without warning or even a simple "Good-bye, Oswald."

When Oswald had first asked where his father had gone, he had been told coldly by the Universal staff that he must have done something really bad to make Walt hate him enough to not even want to say "Good-bye" to him. This was something that constantly haunted Oswald in his dreams. What had he done to make his own father and creator hate him? Was it because of one of the pranks he had pulled? He never did seem too happy when he caught Oswald pulling pranks...

Oswald sighed sadly at the thought, his rabbit ears drooping in sadness and guilt as the rubber ball bounced to the floor out of his grasp. What he wouldn't give to take back whatever it was that he had done wrong. To be given a second chance. He deserved it, didn't he? Unless whatever he had done was unforgivable... He winced at the thought.

Suddenly, the door to the planning room opened and a stern-looking man stood in the doorway.

"Oswald, you are instructed to come with me," he said plainly.

"Yes, Sir," Oswald responded, knowing he had no choice but to obey. As he glumly followed the man out of the room and down the hall, he wondered what it was he was in trouble for this time. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

The man soon led him to a door at the end of the hallway and motioned for Oswald to go through. Oswald obeyed and went through the door, but was taken by surprise when sunlight hit his eyes and he found himself in the Universal parking lot. He looked back through the doorway at the man with a confused look.

"You no longer belong here," the man said coldly, without explanation, as he slammed the door shut behind Oswald.

"Wh-What? Is this some kind of a cruel joke or something?" Oswald exclaimed in surprise as he went to try the doorknob, only to find it was locked. He tugged on it a few more times, then gave up.

"Fine then! I never liked it here anyway! Hmmph!" he yelled at the building before stomping away.

"Jerks..." he muttered to himself, kicking a stone as he walked across the parking lot. What was he going to do now? His father was long gone and now Universal didn't even want him here anymore, not that he cared about the latter.

He continued to walk aimlessly through the huge parking for about 15 minutes, unsure of where to go or what to do next. He sighed. Then his ear twitched as he thought he heard a sound in the distance.

"Huh?" he wondered aloud, turning in the direction of where the sound had come from. As he squinted into the distance, he could just barely make out a figure standing by the gates. He moved in the direction of the gates, confused.

"Oswald!" the voice called out loud and clear this time. Oswald gasped as he recognized the voice. Was that...? No, it couldn't be... Could it?

"D... Dad...?" Oswald called back in disbelief, his pace increasing.

"Oswald!" Walt called back to him, tears of joy forming in his eyes.

"_Dad!" _ Oswald cried out joyfully, tears of joy also blurring his vision as he soon broke into a sprint. In no time at all he reached the gates and hurled himself over the walls of his prison with a great leap, right into Walt's waiting arms.

_"Oswald!" _said Walt joyfully, tightly hugging his first creation close.

"Dad! You came back! I missed you so much! Why did you leave me?" Oswald asked, sniffling.

"Mintz took you from me. He betrayed me! But don't worry, it's all over now. I got you back and I'll never leave you again."

"R-Really? You still love me...?"

"Of course I love you! I've always loved you."

"I didn't do something to make you hate me and want to leave me...? Like that time I accidentally spilled ink on your drawings...?"

"Of course not! They filled your head with lies, Son."

"What...?" Oswald narrowed his eyes. "Those jerks..."

"Let's go home." Oswald gave him a fake disappointed look.

"Aww, you mean I can't beat them up first?" Walt laughed.

"No, you don't want me to get in trouble, do you?" Oswald gave a mischievous smile.

"That's what disguises are for."

"Don't worry, Oswald. Winning my case was insulting to them enough. Let's go."

"Aww, you're no fun," Oswald joked playfully, giggling.

Walt gently held him in his arms and began carrying him over to the car. Oswald happily hung onto Walt's neck. He couldn't believe it. He was finally going home again. Everything was right again. Everything would be just like before and nothing would ever tear them apart again.


	2. We're still family

_Chapter 2: We're still family_

This had to be a dream. There was no way this could really be happening. Could it really be this simple? Was it really going to be just like old times with just the two of them working together again? After all this time, after all these years, could he really be going home? This might not last, but Oswald just couldn't keep the smile off his face. He had long feared that he would never see his father again, and even if this wasn't permanent, he was overwhelmed with relief and thankfulness for this moment.

"I have a surprise for you," Walt said as they were getting close to home.

"Really? You mean there's more?" Oswald asked with interest. Walt nodded. "What kind of surprise is it?

"You'll see," said Walt, parking the car in front of the house and getting out. Oswald got out of the passenger's side and followed him up to the house.

"Lilly, we're home!" Walt called out as he opened the front door and headed inside. Oswald had barely taken a step inside before he felt himself suddenly squeezed into a tight embrace.

_"Oswald!"_ Lilly cried out joyfully, hugging him tight. "I missed you so much..."

"I missed you a lot too, Mom... but you're crushing me..." he said, barely able to get the words out.

Lilly loosened her grip a bit, but still held him close, kissing his forehead affectionately. Oswald smiled and hugged her back.

"I'm so happy you're home..." she said, tears of joy rolling down her cheeks.

"I am too, Mom," said Oswald before they finally ended the embrace.

"Mom?" said Mickey, peeking his head around the corner at the end of the hallway.

"Mickey, come here," said Walt.

Mickey slowly walked over, looking very confused. Oswald looked at him in surprise and confusion. Was this a new one of the minor role toons in his father's cartoons? But what was he doing here in the house?

"Mickey, I want you to meet your brother, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit," said Walt.

_"Brother?"_ Mickey exclaimed in surprise.

_ "Wh-What?" _said Oswald, equally as shocked.

"This is your surprise, Oswald. I want you to meet your brother, Mickey Mouse."

But before Oswald could answer him, Mickey suddenly ran over and threw his arms around Oswald.

"You made me a little brother?" Mickey cried out joyfully, squeezing Oswald tight, "Thank you, Dad!"

"Uh, Mickey..." said Walt.

Oswald quickly pulled himself out of Mickey's grasp.

"What are you doing here?" Oswald asked him suspiciously.

"Huh? What do you mean?" said Mickey, confused, "I live here with my parents."

"_Your_ parents? I was here first!"

"Huh?" said Mickey, shocked. "Dad, what's he talking about?"

"Calm down, both of you," said Walt. "It's like this, Mickey: I told you that I used to work for Universal."

"Yeah, and you left. You wanted to make your own company."

"Well, the reason is because when I worked there, I made Oswald back in 1927 for Universal cartoons. He was my first toon star. Everything was going fine for a while, until Mintz betrayed me and took Oswald from me. I refused to work for him anymore. Then I tried to get Oswald back, but because of the contract, I wasn't able to until now."

"So... Oswald is my big brother." Mickey concluded.

"Yes," Walt said before turning to Oswald. "After I lost you, I had to start over. That's how your brother came to be. I made Mickey in 1928."

"...Oh," said Oswald quietly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" said Mickey, suddenly looking upset. Walt sighed.

"My lawyer said I didn't have a good chance of winning, and I didn't want you to get hurt from all this, like I was. So I thought it would be better if you didn't know. I was only protecting you."

_"I could've handled this! I had a right to know about my own brother!" _Mickey shouted in anger.

_"You mean you've been pretending that I never existed?"_ Oswald said in a hurt tone.

"For your brother's sake!" said Walt. "I was going to tell him... But there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think of you. I was doing everything I could to get you back."

"...I see," Oswald said quietly.

"I know this will take some time to get used to, but we're all family," Walt said.

"...I guess..." Oswald said, hesitating.

"Oswald, don't be like that, Son. You should be happy you have a younger brother." Oswald didn't respond. "Well, why don't you two get to know each other while your mother and I get your things from the attic."

"Yes, Sir..." said Mickey.

"Yes, Dad..." said Oswald.

After they left to get his things, Oswald began looking around the house. The house was slightly different decoration-wise, but for the most part, still seemed the same. But as Oswald inspected closer, he discovered that all his old pictures with them and all his old little projects that used to be on display were all gone. In their place were pictures of his parents with Mickey and other little knick-knacks. All evidence that he had once lived here had been removed and put into storage. Had his dad really been that intent on hiding his existence from Mickey and moving on?

"So... what do you like to do?" Mickey said, sitting down on the couch. Oswald hesitated, then answered.

"I like having fun, pulling pranks, making things, and making cartoons with Dad."

"I pull pranks sometimes too when Dad's not watching," said Mickey. "What kind of stuff do you like to make?"

"I like to work with mechanical things, build things, fix things, and take things apart."

"Cool! I bet you're really good at it."

"Yes, I am," Oswald said, smirking a bit in pride. Mickey smiled.

"Umm, is your real name 'Oswald,' or is that just a nickname?"

"It's my real name."

"Oh... it's nice..." Mickey paused. "Umm, do you have any questions for me? I've been mostly asking you questions."

"Not really, but fine... What are you interested in?"

"Well, there's adventures, music, hanging out with my friends, and hotdogs!"

"I like adventures and hotdogs as well..." Oswald said, staring somewhat sadly at the replacement photos.

"Hey, something we have in common," Mickey said, smiling. Oswald remained silent, continuing to stare at the photos.

"...Are you okay?" Mickey asked, concerned.

"All my pictures are gone..." Oswald said sadly.

"Maybe they're in the attic."

"Maybe... I'll ask when they come back down."

"I bet they're up there."

Soon Walt and Lilly came back downstairs.

"Mickey, it's time to practice your piano lessons," said Walt.

"Okay, Dad," Mickey replied, getting up and heading over and taking a seat in front of the piano. Lilly went over and sat with him.

"Okay, Dear, start with your scales like always," said Lilly.

"Okay," Mickey said as he began playing his scales.

"Oswald, do you want to help me set up your room?" said Walt.

"Sure, Dad," Oswald replied, following him upstairs. He found his old room almost completely bare, save for the bed and dressers and a few other major furniture items. He bent down and started going through the boxes of his old things that they had brought down from the attic, placing them where they belonged in the room. Walt helped him out, occasionally asking Oswald where he wanted things to go.

"So what do you think of your brother?" Walt asked after a little while.

"I don't know, I guess he's okay..." Oswald responded.

"He seems to like you."

"Yeah..." Oswald said, placing a few more of his things around the room. Then he finally decided to ask the question that had been bothering him a bit earlier. "Where did all our pictures go?"

"They're in a box in the attic," said Walt. "I had to hide them from Mickey as well..."

"Oh... Why were you so intent on hiding my existence?"

Walt sighed.

"Mickey can be a bit stubborn and I was afraid if he found out about you, it would do more harm than good. He would've tried to get back at Mintz for taking you, and I was afraid Mintz would do him harm..."

"Oh... I understand..." Oswald replied. He did somewhat understand, but it still bothered him a little that his own father would hide his own existence. Even if it was justified, it still hurt a bit.

"I know it's a big change for you, but I promise you I love you very much and nothing will ever change that."

Oswald smiled.

"I love you too, Dad."

* * *

"No... I won't!"

_"You will, or else..."_

"Or else what?

Oswald yelped in pain as he felt himself grabbed by the ears while a hand held a bottle of green liquid over him.

_"Or else my hand might just slip..."_

Oswald struggled to get out of his grasp. He tried to detach his ears in order to escape, but for some reason it wouldn't work right now.

"You wouldn't! You need me! I'm your _star!_"

_"You are easily replaceable. And since you refuse to behave, I will do what is necessary, for the good of the company."_

Oswald let out a big, long _'No!' _as he thought he felt the thinner splash onto his head. He sat up with a start in bed, panting heavily, tears rolling down his cheeks. It had all been a dream. Just a dream. He tried to reassure himself, but it was no use, it felt too real, even if it had never happened. He quickly got out of bed and ran to his parents' room and knocked on the door. About a minute later, Walt answered it.

"Oswald? What's wrong?"

"I-I..." Oswald attempted to respond, still shaking violently from the fright.

"Oswald, what happened?"

"I-It's so pathetic of me... b-but I had a nightmare..."

"What about?"

"A-About Universal and Mintz and thinner a-a-and..." Oswald burst into tears.

Walt crouched down and wrapped his arms around him in a comfort hug, holding him close.

"Shhh, it's okay. You're safe now. He can't hurt you anymore."

Oswald still trembled a bit as he attempted to wipe his tears away.

"C-Could I please sleep with you tonight?"

"Of course you can," Walt said, smiling. Then he gently picked Oswald up and carried him over to the bed.

"Thanks, Dad," Oswald said, trying to begin calming down. Walt climbed back into bed, setting Oswald between him and Lilly.

"Get some sleep, Son."

"Y-Yes, Dad," Oswald said, still trembling a bit as parts of the dream echoed in his head. Walt hugged him close and held him.

"Try not to think about it."

"O-Okay..." Oswald said, finally beginning to relax.

"Good night, Oswald."

"Good night, Dad," Oswald said, snuggling into him and resting his head against his chest and finally shutting his eyes.

A small figure who had been peeking through the bedroom door gave a smile as he gently shut it.


	3. Doubts

_Chapter 3: Doubts_

The alarm clock rung. Walt squinted his eyes open and reached out to shut off the alarm clock. Once the alarm was silenced, he leaned over and gave Lilly a kiss on the cheek. Her lips curved into a smile as she opened her eyes.

"Good morning," said Walt.

"Good morning," she replied, glancing at the small black figure lying between them. "It appears we have a little intruder in our bed," she said playfully.

"Well, I'm sure if you give him a carrot, he'll go away," Walt joked along.

Lilly gave a soft giggle. Oswald stirred a bit in his sleep, groaning and snuggling closer to Walt. Walt hugged his son comfortingly.

"He had a nightmare," said Walt.

"Oh, what about?"

"About Mintz..."

"Oh, poor dear..." said Lilly, gently kissing Oswald's head.

"I'm sure with more time, the nightmares will end soon."

"I sure hope so..." said Lilly quietly, lowering her voice to a whisper. "What do you suppose happened to him...?"

"I really don't want to know..." Walt responded with a sigh. Lilly looked at Oswald with worry.

"He's home now," said Walt, not wanting to see her worried. Lilly gave a small smile.

"I missed him so much," she said.

"I have too," said Walt.

"I'm so happy he's home," said Lilly, gently petting Oswald's head.

"Yes," said Walt with a smile.

"Time to wake up, Honey," said Lilly, gently rubbing Oswald's back. Oswald groaned a bit and changed positions.

"Someone doesn't agree," said Walt, smiling.

"Oswald..." Lilly said, gently shaking him. Oswald groaned some more and stuck his head under the pillow.

"Oswald, time to get up," said Walt.

"No thanks. Five more... hours..." said Oswald, groaning.

"Sorry, Son, but you need to get up," said Walt. Oswald pulled the covers over his head.

"Come on, Oswald..." said Lilly.

"I guess he doesn't want to go to work with me today," said Walt.

"Hey, I do too!" Oswald said defiantly, instantly sitting up. Walt laughed.

"Well then, go get ready," said Walt, getting up. Oswald nodded, yawning and stretching. Lilly gave Oswald a pet on the head before getting up herself. Oswald smiled, then headed to his room to put on a fresh pair of blue shorts.

"Are we going to work on the cartoon?" asked Mickey as they were eating breakfast.

"Yep, we're heading to the studio," Walt responded.

"So... you have your own company now?" Oswald asked curiously.

"Yes, I do. I've had it for a while now," said Walt.

"Dad's become a bit hit, Oswald," Mickey chimed in.

"Oh, that's great! I'm happy for you, Dad!" Oswald said with a smile.

"Thank you, Son," said Walt. Mickey smiled.

"So, we're gonna do cartoons together again, right?" said Oswald.

"Yes, Son, I plan on it," said Walt.

"We can do some together!" Mickey said excitedly to Oswald.

"...No thanks," said Oswald.

"...Huh? Why?" said Mickey.

"Because..." said Oswald. "Besides, I've barely known you for 24 hours."

Mickey was silent for a while.

"I'm gonna go get my scripts," Mickey told Walt, getting up and heading to his room. Walt sighed.

"Oswald, I know Mickey is going a little too fast... but he just wants to help you."

Oswald didn't answer him and began finishing up his breakfast. Walt shook his head, then looked to Lilly. She sighed as well, then whispered to him.

"What should we do?"

"I don't know..." said Walt as a soft tune started coming from the piano in the other room.

"Huh?" asked Oswald, confused. "I thought he was getting his scripts?"

"He's probably just waiting on us now," said Walt.

"Oh..." said Oswald, getting up and putting his dirty plate in the sink. Walt got up and put his coat on.

"We won't be long, Dear."

"Okay, have a good day at work, Honey," said Lilly, giving him a kiss and straightening his tie.

"Thanks, Dear. Boys, let's go," said Walt, walking out to the car.

"Coming!" called Mickey, getting up from the piano.

"Okay, Dad!" said Oswald, hopping out to the car and climbing into the backseat. Mickey climbed into the backseat as well, his script papers in his hands. Oswald looked out the window as they drove, watching the people and shops go by while Mickey continued looking at his script, neither one of them acknowledging the other.

After a while, Walt parked the car in front of the company building and they all got out.

"So, what are you working on right now?" Oswald asked, following Walt up to the building.

"I've been doing Mickey's cartoons," said Walt.

"Oh," replied Oswald, "So can you show me around?"

"Of course, Oswald," he replied, opening the door to the building and holding it open for Oswald and Mickey.

"Great!" Oswald responded with a smile, heading inside. Mickey headed off to the set to rehearse while Walt led Oswald down a hallway and began showing him around. As Walt pointed out and briefly explained each section, Oswald looked around the studio in wonderment. This place was huge! Much bigger than the one they had at Universal. He couldn't believe his dad actually _owned_ this place! He had really come a long way...

"So, is there anything I can help you with?" Oswald asked, after the tour concluded. Walt paused a moment to think.

"You know what, there is!" Walt said leading him into one of the planning rooms and showing him some concept art and storyboards. "I'm working on my first feature-length cartoon. Tell me what you think."

"Wait... you mean a whole cartoon movie?" Oswald exclaimed in shock.

"That's right," Walt said as laughter was suddenly heard in the other room.

"...What are they laughing at?" Oswald asked in confusion.

"They don't think I can pull it off."

"Oh... why not?"

"It's a very difficult project."

"Oh, well it looks interesting," said Oswald, studying the storyboards. "And besides, what's an adventure without risks?"

"Couldn't have said it better myself."

Oswald smiled.

"Dad, I need your help!" Mickey called from the other room.

"Be right there, Mickey," Walt called back to him as Oswald continued studying the storyboards, making suggestions.

"Hey, maybe you could move this action here, put this scene at the beginning, and cut out this dialogue here..."

"Hang on a second, Oswald," Walt interrupted, heading into the other room.

"...Oh, okay..." Oswald said quietly, feeling a bit disappointed.

_He'll be back in a few minutes like always. Maybe 10. _Oswald told himself, and began looking over the storyboards again.

10 minutes passed. Then 15.

_He'll be back any minute now... _Oswald reassured himself, starting to grow bored with staring at the drawings. He kept waiting until he was sure it had been well over 30 minutes. What was taking him so long? He could understand that his dad was busy, but as his dad's star, shouldn't he at least be involved in his work?

Oswald set off to investigate. He headed down the hallway in the direction Walt had gone. He passed several doors until he heard voices coming from one door which was cracked open a little. He peeked inside and saw what appeared to be a colorful cartoon set, along with Walt and Mickey, who appeared to be going over the script.

"Alright, you think you've got all that, Mickey?" said Walt.

"I hope so... I'm not used to doing a cartoon this long..." Mickey said, a bit unsure.

"We're attracting new fans. They want to see more of you, so we should give them what they want. I know you can handle this."

"I won't let you down, Dad," Mickey said with a smile and a boost of confidence.

_Hmmph! __**I **__should be the only one calling him, "Dad!" _thought Oswald in annoyance, turning back, not wanting to hear anymore of it. As he headed back down the hallway, he passed by a couple of his dad's employees, who were taking a coffee break.

"I wouldn't be surprised if the movie turns out to be a hit. I mean, look at everything he's done now! The company is moving up in huge numbers. People love Mickey Mouse. That mouse is going to make Walt a very famous man."

"Oh, I agree about the mouse, but I bet you 10 whole dollars the movie will fail!"

"You're on!"

Oswald kept walking, but even once their voices had faded into the distance, their words still echoed in his head.

_"People love Mickey Mouse. That mouse is going to make Walt a very famous man..."_

_They're so confident about Mickey... but what about **me**? Aren't I still his star too? Or am I just old news now compared to him?_

* * *

_EDIT: Just made a minor change at the beginning of the chapter because I just remembered that it would be an old-fashioned alarm clock, not a digital one._


	4. Tensions Rising

**A/N: Sorry for the kind of long wait, there was a lot to figure out for this chapter. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this long chapter! Tell me what you think and thanks for reading!**_  
_

* * *

_Chapter 4: Tensions Rising_

One afternoon, as Oswald was heading upstairs to his room, he noticed something. The door to Walt's home office/drawing room was open! The door was usually locked shut, but this time the door was open just a crack. It was the only room in the house that he wasn't allowed to go in without permission and it always piqued Oswald's curiosity. What kind of new ideas was he coming up with in there lately? What could be inside there that he was keeping a secret? He had to know!

He tiptoed over to the drawing room door, listening closely for any sounds coming from inside. He heard nothing, so he cautiously peeked through the open door crack. It was empty. Walt must've forgotten to lock it when he left!

_Now's my chance!_ thought Oswald excitedly. He glanced around and listened for a moment to make sure no one was coming before slowly pushing the door open and stepping inside.

As he glanced around the small office, he first spotted a chair in front of a drawing board littered with pencils, erasers, and sketches. There were some filing cabinets, bookshelves, and other shelves containing art supplies such as paint, thinner, brushes, clay, and other various art tools. Some of the drawings had been tacked up on the wall with notes written on them. It was a bit messy, with some papers and empty paint tubes littering the floor, but organized for the most part.

Oswald looked at some of the drawings that were lying around and found they contained sketches of Mickey, Horace, Clarabelle, Donald, Goofy, and various other characters in what appeared to be ideas for new shorts. Then Oswald thought he spotted some drawings of himself over on the desk, so he began heading over to investigate.

_Hmm... I wonder what he has planned for me..._

"_Oswald the Lucky Rabbit!"_ a voice suddenly shouted from behind him.

Oswald jumped and yelped in surprise. Knowing he was caught, he turned and quickly made a run for it, speeding out the drawing room door before Walt could react.

_"Oswald, get back here!"_

Oswald raced down the stairs, through the kitchen, and out the back door into the backyard. He ran across the grass, passing by Mickey before hopping up into one of the trees and climbing up.

_Ha! He'll never find me here! _Oswald snickered, perching on one of the highest branches, hidden behind the leaves.

"Oswald, why did you just jump in that tree?" asked Mickey from the ground.

"Shhh!"

Walt came outside a minute later. "Mickey! Have you seen your brother?"

"Yeah, he's in that tree for some reason," said Mickey, pointing to the tree.

"Oswald, come out of the tree right now!" Walt commanded. Oswald stayed silent, trying to pretend he wasn't there.

"Uh oh..." said Mickey, as he began heading back toward the house.

"Oswald, I am giving you to the count of three! One... _Two..."_

Oswald sighed and reluctantly hopped out of the tree, falling all the way to the ground. As he hit the ground, all his body parts broke apart and scattered like Mr. Potato Head, but he quickly put himself back together, completely unharmed.

"Ta-da!" Oswald put his hands in the air like he was performing for an audience. Walt didn't seem impressed.

"What were you doing in my office?"

"Uhh... I got lost?"

"Try again."

"I just accidentally made myself dizzy and took a wrong turn and—"

"Oswald, you and Mickey both know you're not allowed in my office without my permission."

Oswald put on his best begging face.

"Those eyes aren't going to work on me this time, Son. Why were you in my office?"

"Uh..."

Walt watched him with a stern look, tapping his foot as he waited for an answer.

"I was...curious?"

"Oswald, if I catch you in my office again, you're grounded. Understand?"

"Aww, why?"

"I don't want anything in there to get ruined."

"You really think I'd ruin your things?"

"Of course not, Oswald."

"Then why don't you trust me to be careful?"

"I do trust you, it's just that my office is my space and I don't like for people to go in it without my permission. Understand?"

"Oh, okay..." Oswald stared at the ground with a slightly sad and ashamed look. "Sorry..."

Walt paused a few moments, then gave him a hug.

"I'm sorry, Dad."

"It's alright, Son."

"It is?"

"Yes, but I hope you understand now."

"I guess."

Walt patted him on the head.

_Note to self: Wait until they're out next time so I won't get caught again._

"Can't you at least show me sometime?" asked Oswald.

"Of course."

"When?"

"Let me finish my work first, then I'll show you," said Walt, petting Oswald's head before walking away.

"Oh, okay..." Oswald headed back inside, shooting Mickey a glare as he passed by him. Mickey was silent.

As he headed back inside, Oswald was deep in thought. He hadn't meant to invade Walt's personal space, but he couldn't help that the only forbidden room in the house was just so interesting! Though, maybe he should still try to make it up to him somehow.

_But how?_

Oswald paused to think for a while.

_Hmm... _

He put his hand on his chin in thought as he headed upstairs to his room.

* * *

_Later that week_

"Done!" exclaimed Oswald, as he finished writing something on some papers. He grabbed the stack of papers and excitedly ran out onto the set. "Hey, Dad!"

Walt didn't hear him at first, as he we was in the middle of an important discussion with one of his employees.

"Dad, I have something to show you!" Oswald said eagerly with a smile.

"One second, Oswald," Walt said, turning back to his employee to continue the conversation. "Look, I'm telling you it doesn't look right."

Oswald listened as they kept going back and forth about certain aspects of the cartoon, politely waiting for his turn.

"What doesn't look right about it?" asked the employee.

"It needs to be wackier, more exaggerated."

"But it _is_ wacky and exaggerated!"

Walt shook his head. "It still isn't quite right."

"But I've already remade it _twice_ already! It's not going to get any better than this!"

"It isn't what I'm looking for."

"What _are_ you looking for then?"

"When you show me, I'll tell you."

"But I _have _shown you! What more do you want?"

"I told you: Wackier and more exaggerated. Just try again."

"...Dad?" Oswald tried to cut in. No response. "Dad!"

Walt sighed and turned to Oswald. "What is it, Oswald?"

"Look! I came up with these ideas for your movie!" said Oswald, holding out his papers to him.

"That's great, Oswald, but I'll have to look at them later. I'm really busy right now, Son."

Oswald's ears drooped a bit. "...Oh, okay... Sorry to disturb you..."

Another employee came up to them. "Sir, Mickey needs you about one of his scenes."

"Be right there," said Walt, patting Oswald on the head. "We'll look at those after I'm done, I promise."

"Okay..." said Oswald, forcing a small smile as Walt walked away.

* * *

_At break time, a few hours later_

After finishing his lunch, Oswald looked over his idea papers, double-checking everything and occasionally making little edits to them. However, this was quickly becoming tiresome, as he was having trouble thinking of what else to add.

"Hi, Oswald," came a familiar annoying voice. Oswald pretended to be completely focused on his papers. "...Oswald?" Oswald still didn't respond. "...I guess you're busy right now..." said Mickey in a slightly hurt tone, starting to walk away. Oswald sighed a bit in annoyance.

"What do you want?"

Mickey turned around.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to see the cartoon set?"

"You mean _your_ cartoon set?"

"Well, isn't it really Dad's?"

"No, I'm pretty sure it's yours," said Oswald, bitterness boiling beneath his words.

"I don't understand what you mean?"

"Never mind... Where's Dad? Is he still busy?"

"Um, I'm not sure... I think he's taking a coffee break..."

Oswald picked up his papers and went in search of Walt. After checking various rooms, he soon found him at a table, sipping coffee and reading the newspaper.

"...Dad?"

Walt looked up and set the newspaper down.

"Hello, Oswald."

"Are you still busy...?" said Oswald, a slightly worried expression on his face.

"Not right now. What's on your mind, Son?"

"I wanted to show you these ideas I came up with for your movie!" Oswald held out the papers to him. Walt took the papers from him and set them on the table, moving the newspaper aside. Then he lifted Oswald up onto his lap as he began looking them over. The papers were filled with ideas for scenes, such as some dialogue and storyboards for how some scenes should play out.

"These are very impressive, Oswald," he said after a while.

"Thanks, I worked on them all night!" Oswald responded with a smile.

"I can tell. I'll take them with me to the next meeting."

"Really?" Oswald's face lit up with joy.

"Of course," said Walt, patting Oswald on the head. Oswald hugged him.

"Uh... Dad?" a voice interrupted.

"What is it, Mickey?" said Walt, turning to him.

"Sorry to interrupt, but one of your employees wants to talk to you about the next scene."

"Alright," said Walt with a sigh, setting Oswald down and patting Oswald's head. "We'll talk about the rest during dinner."

Oswald looked up at him with a slightly disappointed expression. "Oh, alright..." Oswald sighed as Walt left and headed over to the set.

_Well, it was nice while it lasted..._

* * *

At last, the day at the studio came to an end and Walt led Oswald and Mickey back out to the car. As they drove home, Oswald looked out the backseat window, occasionally peeking over at Mickey out of the corner of his eye, who seemed to be drawing something in a sketchbook. Oswald continued to act uninterested, but couldn't help but be curious. He stole another glance at Mickey and noticed he was wearing a goofy grin on his face. Oswald leaned over and tried to sneak a glimpse at the drawing.

"Hey! My eyes only!" said Mickey, pulling it away before Oswald could see. Walt tried not to chuckle.

"Fine, I wasn't interested anyway. You were just acting suspicious," Oswald said coldly before going back to looking out the window. Mickey gave him a look.

"Is that for Minnie?" asked Walt.

"Huh?" said Mickey, his cheeks turning red.

"I see the way you look at her."

"We're just friends, Dad."

"Sure, you are." Mickey's face turned ever redder. Oswald rolled his eyes and kept looking out the window with an annoyed look, making a quiet _Hmmph! _to himself as the car pulled into the driveway.

"Mom, we're home!" called Mickey, hopping out of the car and heading for the house.

_How dare he call them "Mom" and "Dad"! I thought that was our unique thing that made me special out of all the other toons..._

"Welcome home, Boys!" Lilly greeted them as Walt gave her a kiss.

"Boys, go get cleaned up for dinner," said Walt.

"Oh boy, food!" exclaimed Mickey, heading to the bathroom to wash his hands. Oswald ran ahead of him, making sure to be first. As he waited his turn, Mickey innocently wondered what was so important about getting to wash his hands first. Maybe Oswald was just really hungry.

* * *

While they waited for dinner to finish cooking, Oswald sat at the dinner table, fiddling with taking apart a watch.

"What are you doing, Oswald?" asked Walt, who was sitting next to him.

"Taking apart this watch to see how it works and trying to learn how to fix it..." Oswald answered, studying the tiny springs and gears.

"I didn't even know it was broken," said Mickey, watching him from the other side of the table.

"It's been constantly running at only half the speed it should, and changing the battery didn't work, so it must be something in here..." Oswald kept studying it, poking around inside it with some small tools.

"I see you still love to build and repair things," said Walt, smiling. Oswald looked up and smiled a bit back.

"Yes, of course I do."

"So, what are your other ideas, Oswald?" Oswald grinned, glad to be finally getting attention.

"Well, like I was showing you earlier, I figured out some ways to make some of the scenes you have already more exciting and entertaining, such as adding some more comedy to Scene 12 and more action to Scene 28!"

"Oh really?"

"Yep!" Oswald continued pitching him his ideas, explaining them in detail.

"Well, let's see what we can work with," said Walt after Oswald was done.

"Okay!" Oswald peeked at Mickey out of the corner of his eye, secretly glad to be finally taking the attention away from him. "So, what can I do at the studio with you? Can't we make new cartoons yet?"

"I'm afraid it's not that simple, Oswald. I'm still waiting for the judge to grant me rights to start making cartoons with you again." Oswald's ears drooped in sadness and disappointment.

"Oh... okay..." Oswald gave a worried look. "...Is there a chance that it won't happen?"

"I don't know..."

"What kind of cartoons did you make?" asked Mickey. Oswald turned to him with challenging look.

"The best, funniest, most entertaining, and most amazing kind the world has ever seen! Maybe if you're lucky, you'll come close to reaching that level someday... or maybe not."

"...What's wrong with mine?" Mickey asked innocently.

"Oswald!" Walt scolded.

"Hmmph." Oswald crossed his arms and looked off to the side.

"Oswald, may I have a word with you in the living room?" Oswald frowned and didn't answer. "Oswald!" Oswald ignored him again. "Oswald, I know you heard me." Oswald hesitated, then slowly got up and reluctantly followed Walt into the living room.

"Oswald, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"Then why were you being rude to Mickey just now?"

"I wasn't being rude."

"Oswald, I know these new changes are hard right now, but Mickey is only trying to help you."

_How can you replace me and demote me like this and expect me to just accept it? _Oswald's mind seemed to scream.

Walt rubbed Oswald's head. "Please give Mickey a chance, he is your brother."

"...Yes, Dad," Oswald spoke reluctantly.

_Yeah, right, he'll get no such chance from me. That mouse doesn't deserve my respect, nor the honor of being my "brother!" Why can't things just be like before?_


	5. Memories

_**Chapter 5: Memories**_

"Boys, hurry up or we'll be late," Walt called from the other room.

"Coming, Dad!" Oswald called back, running downstairs to the front door where Walt was waiting. As he passed by Mickey's room, he thought he heard a noise that sounded somewhat like coughing, but ignored it. He went over and stood by Walt at the front door.

After a while, Mickey finally appeared and weakly stumbled his way over to them. His face appeared paler than usual, despite the fact that it was naturally white. He sniffled back the mucus starting to drip from his nose.

"Mickey, are you alright?" Walt asked, studying him with a concerned look.

"I'm... okay," Mickey responded with a cough. Not at all convinced, Walt knelt down and felt Mickey's forehead.

"You're burning up! You're in no shape to go anywhere."

"But Dad!" Mickey exclaimed before being forced into a coughing fit.

Oswald couldn't believe his luck. It was a dream come true! Finally, it would be just like old times. Just the two of them working together without that mouse. Father and son. A duo; A team.

"I'm sorry, but you can't go. I have another one coming up in a couple weeks, you can go then." Walt then turned to Oswald, who quickly hid the smirk he had been wearing a few seconds earlier.

"Oswald, I know you wanted to go to this, but Lillian is already on her way there and I have no way of reaching her. Could you please stay here and look after your brother?"

"...What?"

"I know you wanted to go and I'm really sorry, Son, but I can't leave Mickey alone."

"But Dad, that's not fair to Oswald! I can take care of myself." said Mickey, who was leaning on the wall for support.

"You can barely walk! You need someone to be here with you," Walt countered.

"He'll be fine! Come on, let's just go!" Oswald begged, tugging Walt's arm toward the door. He had been looking forward to this press event all week, and he was eager to become involved in this new sprouting company his father had created. The last thing he wanted was to be left behind.

Walt got down to Oswald's level and took him firmly by the shoulders. "Oswald, I know you want to go, but I really need you to stay and look after Mickey. I promise you can go to the next one."

"But—!"

"Please, Son." Realizing that the decision was final, Oswald hung his head in defeat, his ears instantly drooping. "I'm really sorry, Son, I know you wanted to go. I promise you'll go to the next one, I really need your help."

"...Fine." Oswald grumbled a bit angrily.

Walt got back up with a sigh and grabbed his coat. "I won't be long," he said in a somewhat sad tone before heading out. It pained him to have to do that to Oswald, especially when he had been so excited about it, but Mickey's condition worried him and he needed Oswald to be there for his brother, whether he liked it or not. He would have to make it up to Oswald somehow.

Oswald watched through the window pane as the car pulled out into the road and drove away. Soon the sound of the motor faded off into the distance along with it. Then silence.

Oswald continued to stare out down the road where the car had disappeared, the reality sinking in further that he was stuck here with _Sicky Mouse_. Though, he thought, he could always sneak out and go somewhere like the park or the ice cream parlor... but Walt was counting on him to stay here and the last thing Oswald wanted to do was let him down. Mickey would have probably _ratted_ him out anyway, being the annoying _goody-goody_ that he was.

"I'm real sorry, Oswa—Ow!" Shoving past him, Oswald headed back up to his room, slamming the door.

* * *

Darkness. That's all there was, that's all there ever was. Darkness. Pitch-black as far as the eye could see. This place, if it could even be called a place—because in reality it wasn't, was cold, frigid, almost like cold storage, waiting for a use; to be needed by someone, somewhere, for some purpose...

Suddenly, a tiny speck of white appeared. But this was not uncommon. These "specks" often appeared but always ended up fading away after a while. As if someone had turned on the light and then, no longer needing it, switched it back off again in search of a better place to bring their daily business to.

However, this certain speck was different. As time passed, it slowly began to grow, carrying a light warm breeze with it that pierced the frigid darkness. It grew bigger and bigger, warmer and warmer, slowly but surely engulfing all the darkness until there was nothing but light and warmth. With the warmth came information: feelings, thoughts, traits, knowledge. The transformation complete, the "place" opened its eyes.

The man's lips curved into a smile as he watched the ink and paint from his sketch rapidly grow in size, detaching from the paper and gradually forming into a living, breathing creature.

At first, all the creature could see was bright white all around, then gradually, everything came into focus and the creature sat up to see a strange man towering over it. It cocked its head, studying the man curiously. The man appeared to be studying the creature as well.

"He's perfect!" the man exclaimed after a while. The creature looked a bit confused and curiously began to look itself over. It found it had a large round head, long ears, light blue shorts, large hands and feet, and a short fluffy tail.

Just then, the man reached over and gave the rabbit a friendly pat on the head. The rabbit flinched in surprise and backed away to the far corner of the drawing board out of the man's reach, staring at him suspiciously.

"It's alright," the man coaxed. The rabbit gave him a '_Don't mess with me!_' look, in an attempt to seem intimidating in spite of the fact that it was feeling slightly scared and uneasy.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions, don't you?" The rabbit slowly gave a cautious nod, slightly shaking from fear and nervousness, though trying to hide it. "My name is Walt Disney. I created you as my new cartoon star for Universal." The rabbit cocked its head at him, not quite understanding. "You're going to be an actor."

"Actor?" the rabbit responded, puzzled.

"That's right."

"Why?"

"Don't you want to be famous?"

"Famous?"

"Yes, My Boy, famous."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you'll be adored by a lot of people for your talents."

"What talents?"

"Talents you will be learning." The man paused and tapped his chin in thought. "Hmm, you need a name."

"It'd better not be a dumb one," the rabbit muttered, still trying to seem intimidating. The man laughed.

"Well, aren't you a stubborn one?" The rabbit crossed its arms and stared at him as the man began to study him once more, pausing to think for a few minutes. The man muttered to himself as he went though possible names in his head. The rabbit continued to stare back as the awkward silence and mumbling continued for a couple minutes.

"Oswald..." the man finally spoke aloud. "Yes... that's it! I will call you Oswald. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit."

"_Lucky Rabbit?_" the rabbit questioned a bit skeptically.

"That's right. You bring good luck."

"How would you know? I'm only 10 minutes old."

"I can tell," the man responded with a smile, "I created you, didn't I?"

"If you say so," Oswald responded with a shrug.

"How about I show you around, Oswald?"

"Okay," Oswald responded, glancing around for a way off the drawing board. But before he could make a move, he felt gentle hands carefully raise him up off the sketching paper and onto the floor. Oswald glanced up, a bit surprised.

"Oh um, thanks, Mister uh..._Dizzy_, was it?"

The man chuckled. "That would be _Disney_, but you may call me Walt."

"Okay, Mister Walt."

"No need for formalities, just Walt will do"

"All right, Walt."

And with that, Walt led Oswald out the office door and proceeded to show him the rest of the small animation studio. However, at some point during this brief tour, Walt turned to see that his newest creation had suddenly vanished into thin air.

"_Oswaaald!_" Walt called out as he went looking for him.

Meanwhile, Oswald had decided to do some exploring of his own. As he looked around the rather small studio, he spotted an open bucket of paint that had been left out. He approached the bucket curiously, dipping his hands in it and then pulling them out, examining the bright blue color as the paint dripped onto the floor. Spotting a rather dull and plain white wall nearby, he decided it was his job to spruce it up.

Just when he was getting close to finishing, he felt someone grab his arm a bit roughly. He yelped in surprise and turned around, expecting Walt.

"What do you think you're doing?!" the man demanded.

"Just painting..." Oswald responded.

"Who said you were allowed to do that? And who are you?"

"I uh—"

"Mr. Mintz, he's with me," Walt called out, quickly coming into the room. "This is Oswald, the new toon."

"So this is your new toon, huh?" the man glanced over at Oswald, who was putting some finishing touches on his finger-painting.

"Very nice, Oswald," Walt commented. Oswald glanced over at him and smiled, proud of his accomplishment.

"Well, I certainly hope he can do more than just make messes!" the other man snarled. Oswald frowned and splashed some of the paint on the man.

"Why, you little!" The man growled, making a grab toward Oswald.

"Sir, no!" Walt said, trying to stop him. "He didn't mean it."

Oswald quickly hopped out of the way, then proceeded to make a '_nah-nah_' face at the man, sticking out his tongue and wiggling his fingers on the side of his face.

"You'd better teach that little brat some manners or his next art project will be a thinner bath!"

"Yes, Sir..." Walt responded with a sigh.

"Thinner?" Oswald asked. The man then turned to look directly at Oswald.

"It's what erases a toon, _for good_," he explained, glaring at Oswald, "So if I were you, I would stay on my good side."

Oswald briefly felt a chill run down his spine. Regardless, he narrowed his eyes and gave the man a challenging look. "You don't scare me." Walt quickly pulled Oswald away from the man before anything else could happen.

"I'll be watching him," were the man's closing comments as he headed back to his office.

"What a grump," Oswald snickered once he was gone. Walt crouched down and firmly took hold of Oswald's shoulders, giving him a serious look.

"Oswald, listen to me. Mr. Mintz can be very dangerous around toons when he's angry. Do not give him any reason to harm you, understand?"

"Aww, but it's fun to push his buttons!" Oswald responded, giggling.

"Oswald, he is my boss, and if you upset him, he won't think twice about replacing you."

"Alright, alright..."

"Good."

A few moments of silence passed, then suddenly, Oswald put his paint-covered hands on Walt's face.

"Hey!" Walt exclaimed. "What do you think you're doing?" Oswald giggled mischievously. Walt raised an eyebrow. "Little troublemaker, huh?" He tickled Oswald's tummy. Oswald laughed.

"Ha ha! No, stop!"

"Are you going to behave?"

"Maybe," Oswald responded in-between laughs. Not satisfied, Walt tickled him harder.

"Haha, okay, okay!" Oswald finally surrendered, laughing hysterically. Walt let him go.

"Good, now how about we get you cleaned up."

"Sure," Oswald responded, "...if you can catch me!" He took off down the hall, laughing. Walt let out a sigh as he went after him.

"I can see this one is going to be a handful."

* * *

"Oswald, where are you?" Walt called out as he searched yet again for the rabbit. He then spotted a trail of blue paint spots leading down the hallway. He gave a small smile as he proceeded to follow the trail of paint.

"Hmm, now where could he be?" he pretended to wonder aloud as the trail led him to a vacant office. A small, muffled giggle came from the desk, but he pretended not to notice. "Well, I guess he's not in here..." Oswald suppressed another giggle and waited. After a while, it got quiet. Had he left? He cautiously peeked his head out over the desk and looked out at the empty room. No one. He slumped back to the to the floor, relieved. Then suddenly, something grabbed him from behind. Oswald yelped loudly in surprise.

"Gotcha!" declared Walt, snatching him up.

"Aww, no fair!" Oswald whined. Walt smiled.

"Looks like I won," Walt teased him. As revenge, Oswald smeared some more paint on Walt's face, giggling mischievously. Walt gave him an unamused look, then smeared paint on Oswald's face right back.

"Ahh, hey!" Oswald exclaimed, then laughed. Walt laughed along with him. "I like you. You're fun," Oswald said, smiling. Walt smiled back.

"I like you too, you little rascal," Walt answered back, rubbing Oswald's head. Oswald giggled.

"Well, work is done for the day. How about you come home with me?"

"Home?"

"That's right."

"But I thought this was my home?"

"Well, this is only where I work. I have a house not far from here."

"Oh... So where's my home then?"

"Your home is with me."

"It is? Really?"

"Yes, you are my son after all."

"Your...son? But I'm just a toon..."

"Well, yes... but you're much more than that. I gave life to you."

"Oh... well, thanks for that."

Walt couldn't help but chuckle at his childlike innocence. "You're welcome."

"Does that mean I should consider you my dad?"

"I think so."

"You sure?"

"Of course! Unless you're not ready to call me _Dad_."

"Well, if you're okay with it..."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well... alright then... _Dad_." Walt smiled and wrapped his arms around him. Oswald looked a bit surprised at first, but then smiled. Walt then pulled Oswald out of of the embrace, examining him.

"Now, it's about time that we got you cleaned up. And no running off this time."

"Yes, Dad." Walt smiled and led him to the restroom, taking Oswald's hand this time to make sure he didn't lose track of the little rascal again.

* * *

As they got cleaned up at the sink, Oswald suddenly noticed himself for the first time in the mirror and began to stare curiously. Walt watched, amused, as the little rabbit began touching various parts of his face to see how they corresponded in the mirror.

"Like what you see?" Walt asked.

"I guess, but you couldn't have made me a _little_ taller?" Oswald said, motioning to the stool he was standing on in order to reach the sink. Walt chuckled a bit.

"Nope," Walt teased, checking his watch. "Come on, time to go home."

"Okay!" Oswald hopped down from the stool and followed him out. Once the lights were turned off and the doors were locked, they headed outside to the studio parking lot. Once outside, Oswald suddenly paused on the sidewalk as he noticed the sky for the first time.

"Wow..." Oswald said, gazing up in wonder at the fluffy clouds.

"Beautiful, isn't it? Wait 'til you see the rest of the city."

"City?"

"That's right. Now come on," said Walt, heading over to the car. He checked to make sure Oswald was behind him, then climbed into the driver's seat to start up the car. But when he got back out to assist Oswald, he noticed the little rabbit was nowhere to be found again.

_Maybe I should have named him 'Oswald the Disappearing Rabbit.'_ Walt thought to himself as he started to search the inside of the car, thinking Oswald might have climbed in when he wasn't looking. All of a sudden, a dark creature hung upside-down off the car roof and peered through the windshield directly at Walt.

"_Boo!_"

Walt flinched backward in surprise. "Oswald!" he protested, when he realized who it was.

"Haha!" Oswald laughed, plopping down on the hood, "You should've seen your face!"

Walt shook his head in disbelief. "What am I to do with you?"

Oswald continued to giggle as Walt came over to help him down. But as he was making his way down, Oswald suddenly slipped, but luckily managed to catch himself by grabbing ahold of Walt's tie on the way down. Walt's eyes bugged out cartoonishly as he made a choking sound before quickly grabbing Oswald and taking the weight off his neck.

"Heh heh... sorry." Oswald said sheepishly, trying not to giggle.

"It's alright," Walt responded, opening the car door and setting him in the front passenger seat. As they headed home, Oswald's face was practically glued to the window as he watched the sights go by; Buildings, people walking by, children playing. Walt couldn't help but smile at his childlike wonderment. This one was going to be a handful for sure.


	6. Then and Now

**_Chapter 6: Then and Now_**

"Are you hungry?"

"Yes! Oswald exclaimed, glancing over at Walt.

"You'll love your mother's cooking."

"My _mother_...?"

"My wife, Lillian."

"Oh, what's she like?"

"She's very nice."

"Will I like her?"

Walt smiled. "I'm sure you will, Son."

"How'd you meet her?"

"She used to work for me."

"Oh... does that mean you used to own a business?"

"That's right."

"What happened to it?"

"Well, I wanted to do something bigger and that's how you came to be."

"Something bigger?"

"That's right! I plan to make a lot of cartoons with you as the star."

"The star?"

"That's right," Walt said, smiling as they pulled up to the house. "Welcome home." Oswald got out and began looking around the yard curiously. Walt stopped by the door. "Are you coming?"

"Yes, Sir," Oswald responded, coming over to the porch.

"Honey, I'm home!" Walt announced as they entered the house. "And I have a surprise for you!"

"Oh, should I close my eyes?" a woman called from the other room in a playful tone.

"Yes, Dear," Walt called back as he hung up his coat. He led Oswald into the living room where his wife was sitting, then whispered in Oswald's ear. "Go say hi to your mother." Oswald nodded and headed over to the woman.

"Hello, Ma'am," he greeted her, smiling. She opened her eyes, surprised at the new voice.

"Oh, why, hello there!" she looked over at Walt. "And who might this be?"

"This is Oswald, my new toon," Walt explained, coming over.

"Well, isn't he just a little darling!" She kissed Oswald's forehead. The rabbit's cheeks turned a bit red in response. "Oswald, what a lovely name. That was the name of an ancient king, you know."

"It was?" Oswald asked with interest.

She nodded. "That's right. Oh, where are my manners? My name is Lillian Disney."

"Nice to meet you."

"His full name is '_Oswald the Lucky Rabbit_'. He's going to be the star for my new cartoons," said Walt.

"How wonderful!" She then paused, tapping her chin in thought. "Well, I suppose if he's going to stay with us, he's going to need a room of his own."

Walt nodded. "How 'bout the old guest bedroom upstairs?"

"Yes, I believe that'll do just swell if we simply clean it up a bit!" Lilly agreed, getting up and heading upstairs. The boys followed as she led them to a good-sized guest bedroom that was currently being used as storage space. She and Walt then began moving the boxes one by one to the attic. "Would you mind moving those boxes, Walt Dear?" Lillian motioned to some boxes filled with bulky antiques. "They're a bit heavy for me."

"Of course, Dear," Walt responded, taking the heavier boxes up to the attic. Before long, they had the room all cleaned out of storage items, leaving just the essential bedroom furniture.

"There, I believe that should do it," Lilly said.

"Yes, it looks very nice, Dear. Oswald, what do you think?" Walt asked, turning around, only to realize the little toon was no longer there. "Oswald?" Suddenly, they noticed noises coming from down the hall. Walt went to investigate and discovered the source inside his personal art room. Inside was a sight to behold.

Many papers and pencils and spilled paint cans lay scattered among the floor. In the middle of the mess, Oswald sat covered in different-colored paint, some pieces of drawing paper stuck to him.

"Doing a little arts and crafts?"

Oswald looked up, then jumped to his feet, holding out a painting to him. "I made this for you!"

"For me?" Walt asked, taking it from him.

"Yep! It's you... or at least it's supposed to be..."

"It's wonderful! Thank you, Son."

"You're welcome," Oswald responded, smiling.

"Oh my! What a mess!" Lilly exclaimed, coming in from the other room.

"Indeed," said Walt.

"We leave him alone for 10 minutes..." Lilly sighed, shaking her head.

"Well, it seems we have a little troublemaker on our hands."

"It would seem so."

Walt then turned to Oswald, who was whistling innocently. "Oswald, look at the mess you made! What do you think we should do about that?"

"Well gee, I sure hope ya plan on cleanin' it up."

_"_More like _you_, Son!"

Oswald let out a fake yawn and stretched. "Wow, I'm beat. I think I'll hit the hay for the night," he said, heading for the door.

Walt grabbed Oswald's arm, stopping him. "Not so fast, My Little Rabbit. We have a rule in this house: _If you make the mess, you clean it up_."

"Hmm... funny, I don't recall ever agreeing to any rules."

"How about _I'm your father and I told you so_."

"Hmm..." Oswald paused to think. "No thanks."

Walt gave him a stern look. "_Oswald._" Oswald responded with an innocent begging face. Walt patted him on the head. "You can go to bed when your mess is cleaned up." Oswald put on his best, most innocent begging face. Walt didn't respond. Not giving up, Oswald kept it up, tilting his head cutely. After a while, Walt sighed. "Oh... all right, but just this once. Now go get cleaned up and get into bed."

"Okay, thanks, Dad!" Oswald said, hurrying to the bathroom to get cleaned up.

"He's going to be a handful," Walt said.

"I can tell," Lilly agreed as they began cleaning up the mess their little rabbit had made.

Once both Oswald and the mess had been cleaned up, it was time for bed. As Oswald climbed into bed for the first time, he wondered what the next day would hold. What was it going to be like to be a "star?" And would he become a "king," whatever that was, like Lilly had said his name came from? Exhausted from his big day, he was quickly out like a light.

* * *

Oswald woke up and sat up in his bed, stretching. He glanced around the room in confusion as the sleep cleared from his eyes. Why was it still nighttime? Then he suddenly heard a coughing fit from the other room and remembered about Mickey. It had all been a dream. Well, not a dream exactly, a flashback; a memory. Another coughing fit erupted from the other room.

_Should I check on him?_ he thought. He shook his head. _No way! He's the reason I'm stuck here!_ The coughing fit continued, worsening, and soon the guilt began to overwhelm him. _I guess I can't be that cruel though... Dad didn't create me to be that way..._

He sighed and got up from his bed and reluctantly headed out into the hall to check on Mickey. As he peeked through the door crack, he saw Mickey lying in bed, coughing and shivering violently. He looked pretty bad.

"Here."

"Huh?" Mickey mumbled in confusion, looking up.

"It's your medicine," Oswald said, offering a medicine bottle to him. "Just take it!"

Mickey looked bewildered. "Why?"

"Don't make me shove it down your throat! You're sick, you take medicine!"

"_No! I mean why would you give it to me?!_" Mickey practically shouted at him, his voice scratchy from his sore throat.

"Because you're sick! Just take it!"

"WHAT DO YOU CARE!?" shouted Mickey, almost crying.

"BECAUSE DAD DIDN'T MAKE ME THAT CRUEL! NOW JUST TAKE IT!"

Mickey gave him an angry look, but took the medicine anyway.

"Finally!"

Mickey looked away from him.

"You're welcome." Oswald said, as he turned to leave.

"Why are you so mean to me?!" Mickey suddenly burst out.

"Just get some rest!" Oswald snapped at him.

Mickey angrily lied back down in his bed, his back facing the door. "_I don't know what Dad sees in him... He's a jerk!_" he mumbled to himself. Oswald instantly whirled around, his big, sensitive ears not missing a word.

"You know what, I don't know what he sees in a whiny, attention-stealing pest like you either!"

Mickey jolted upright in response. "I DIDN'T STEAL ANYTHING!"

The door slammed shut.

* * *

A while later, a knock came on Oswald's door.

"Oswald, we're home," came Walt's voice from outside the bedroom door. Oswald sat on the edge of his bed and didn't respond. A few moments later, he felt someone sit on the bed next to him.

"Welcome home..." Oswald spoke emotionlessly, not looking at him.

"I know you're upset, Son."

"Really? What gave it away?" Oswald responded in an annoyed tone. Walt sighed.

"I promise I'll bring you next time. I really needed your help tonight."

"Then you should've just let me come. Making me stay here was pointless," Oswald grumbled.

"Oswald, I don't like that tone, and you know why I needed you here."

"It's not like he's fatally ill, it's just a little cold."

"Oswald, he had a high fever. He needed looking after."

"Sure, he did." Oswald rolling his eyes. Walt gave him a stern look.

"We'll talk when you're in a better mood." Walt got up, leaving a small box on Oswald's bed before gently shutting Oswald's door. Shortly after he left, Oswald looked at the box curiously, then opened it. Oswald gasped.

Inside were brand new tools for him, to make up for him missing the event. He felt a small twinge of guilt.

As he began to take out and examine the tools, he noticed a small flash of gold out of the corner of his eye. He glanced up, suddenly remembering what was on his desk.

* * *

Later, Walt returned to Oswald's room, gently tapping on the door.

"Oswald, dinner is ready..."

"Okay..." Oswald responded. Walt came in and sat next to him on the bed once more.

"I know you're still upset."

"I'm fine now."

"I'll make it up to you, I promise..."

Oswald shook his head, taking something out of his pocket and handing it to Walt. Walt looked at it.

"My watch! You fixed it!"

"I just needed the right tools," Oswald answered, managing a small smile.

"Oswald, thank you so much," said Walt, giving him a hug.

"You're welcome. I'm sorry."

"It's all right, I understand."

_But not completely._ Oswald thought to himself as Walt put his watch on.

"Hungry?" Walt asked. Oswald nodded. "Well, come have something to eat, Son. Dinner's ready."

"Alright, Dad." Oswald got up and headed to the kitchen. Walt followed behind him. As they were eating, Lilly prepared a tray of food to bring up to Mickey. She was about to take it up to him when Walt stopped her.

"Sit down, Dear, your food's getting cold. I'll bring it up to him."

"Well, all right, if you insist," Lilly responded, sitting back down. Walt picked up the tray and headed upstairs. He gently tapped on Mickey's door before opening it.

"Mickey, I brought you dinner." Walt walked in, bringing the tray over to the bed. Mickey didn't respond. Strange, it wasn't like Mickey to turn down food, even when sick.

"Mickey? What's wrong, Son?" questioned Walt, setting the tray on the nightstand next to Mickey.

"Oswald and I got into a fight..."

"Oh? What about?"

"He's so mean to me! He doesn't care about me at all!"

"Mickey, that's not true, he's still getting used to all these changes... Besides, I didn't create him to be uncaring."

Mickey hesitated. "...Can I talk to him?" Walt nodded.

"I'll go get him" Walt headed back to the kitchen. "Oswald, Mickey wants to talk to you."

"No thanks."

"Oswald, please go see him."

"Why should I?"

"Because he's your brother!"

"Is not."

"Oswald! How dare you say such a thing!"

"I'll say whatever I like," Oswald responded, frowning and crossing his arms.

"Oswald, when you act like this, it hurts your mother and I. Is that what you want?"

"No..." Oswald muttered.

"Despite what happened with _them_, I raised you better than this."

Oswald hesitated, his ears drooping a bit. Walt rubbed Oswald's head.

"Please, Oswald."

"Yes, Dad..." Oswald finally agreed with a sigh.

"Thank you, Son."

Oswald reluctantly headed up the stairs to Mickey's room. As he wandered in, he noticed the food on the nightstand appeared barely touched. At first, neither of them attempted to say anything. They sat there for a few awkward minutes, the silence only occasionally being broken by Mickey's coughs.

"...Hi," Mickey finally spoke.

"...Hi."

"I'm sorry I yelled at you..." Mickey spoke weakly. Oswald didn't say anything. "I didn't mean what I said..."

"...It's fine, I guess," Oswald answered, not looking at him. Mickey laid his head down on his pillow and sighed.

"...Well, hope you feel better..." Oswald said awkwardly. Taken a bit by surprise, Mickey smiled.

"Thank you, Oswald." Mickey paused, thinking this may be an opportunity to express a thought he had had earlier. "Hey, uh, can I ask you something?"

"...What?"

"Well..." Mickey started, turning to look at the floor. "...I uh, know this is hard for you to talk about, so you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but Dad told me about Mintz—of what he knows, anyway. And since I've never met him, I was wondering what it was like working for him?"

Oswald felt a chill run down his spine. _Of all the questions to ask..._ "..._That_...That's none of your business."

"I'm sorry..."

"Not like you could possibly understand anyway, since you were so lucky to have my Dad keep you safe and sound..."

"I'm sure Dad tried very hard to protect you, Oswald..."

"Oh, is that why he never even said _'Good-bye'_ to me, leaving me to think he abandoned me for years?"

"...He didn't tell you?"

Oswald's voice choked briefly. "...No, he didn't..."

"Oswald, Dad tried to see you, but Mintz threw him out. I bet he wanted to tell you what had happened and that he would come back for you."

"But he didn't."

"He couldn't. Mintz kept him away..."

"And how would you know?"

"He told me his story."

"So he couldn't have at least sent me a letter or something?"

"Do you really think Mintz would've given it to you if he did?"

"I don't know!" Oswald exclaimed in frustration, just wanting the conversation to end.

"Well, the important thing now is you're back home..."

"Are you done prying yet?!" Oswald snapped.

Mickey flinched and turned away with a hurt expression. "Yeah..."

"Good," Oswald muttered, walking out of the room. Mickey sighed.

_He'll always hate me..._ Mickey thought sadly to himself as he snuggled back under the covers.


	7. So close, yet so far

_Chapter 7: So close, yet so far_

Things began winding down on the set as another day of shooting for one of Mickey's cartoons came to a close. Toon actors began clearing out while others began shutting down everything on the set for the day. Oswald hopped among the rafters, helping shut off the overhead lights and cameras, a big help, since they were harder to reach for the crew. Once his task was complete, he hopped back down to the floor, then plopped down into one of the director's chairs, yawning as he watched everyone scurry about.

Working on cartoons wasn't nearly as fun when you couldn't even go on-screen. Due to the still-standing legal issues, Oswald was only allowed to help out with the simplest of tasks on set—all of them off-screen. He sighed as he watched Walt talking to Mickey off-set. He tried to imagine himself in Mickey's place, back when times had been simple; all the fun and thrill of acting and getting into character, performing stunts, working with the other actors, all the unexpected success he had brought Walt...

A hand on his shoulder suddenly snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" Oswald looked up.

"Hello, Son."

"Oh hi, Dad."

"You look a little bored."

"Kind of..."

"How would you like to help me some more with the movie?"

Oswald instantly perked up. "Sure!"

"All right, this is what I need done." Walt handed Oswald some blueprints that detailed the creation of several set models. "I need these made into 1/5th scale models before we can build the actual set pieces of them. Do you think you can do that?"

"Affirmative!" Oswald gave him a salute. Walt smiled, giving him a gentle pat on the head. "We're about to do a test screening for one of our latest shorts. Would you like to join us?"

"Oh uh, sure..." Oswald assumed that meant one of Mickey's cartoons, but didn't want to turn Walt down. He followed as Walt led them to the preview room, which resembled a small theater. As Oswald plopped into one of the theater seats, he sighed slightly, wishing that he was in the cartoon. As if reading his mind, Walt reached over and gently rubbed Oswald's head.

"I know, Son, I know." Oswald briefly glanced at Walt before focusing his attention on the screen. Mickey, who was sitting next to them, glanced over briefly, but said nothing.

As Oswald watched the cartoon unfold, he had to admit he was impressed. It was really well done; the timing, the gags, the story, everything. Even the title was kind of clever; _'Building a Building.'_ Something about it also seemed uncannily familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on what. At first, he simply brushed the feeling off as a mere case of déjà vu. But as the cartoon progressed, the feeling persisted, and then, just before the ending, it suddenly all clicked in Oswald's mind. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped to the floor at the sudden realization. As the film flickered off and the screen darkened, Oswald was still in shock.

"What do you think, Oswald?" Mickey asked.

Oswald didn't respond. He just couldn't believe this! How...? Why...?

"Oswald...?"

Oswald shot the oblivious mouse a sudden angry glare. Mickey gasped, flinching back a bit.

"...What did I do?" he asked innocently. Oswald said nothing and looked away. Walt let out a sigh.

"Mickey, why don't you go get yourself something to drink?" Walt told Mickey.

"...Okay..." Mickey replied awkwardly, heading for the door. Once he was gone, Walt kneeled down next to Oswald.

"Son, it's not what it looks like."

Oswald glared at him with a hurt look. "How could you?!"

"Oswald, I had this cartoon written before I got you back. It was my way of remembering you..."

_"More like replacing me,"_ Oswald muttered so quietly that Walt didn't quite catch it.

"What?"

"Nothing," Oswald grumbled, looking away.

"Oswald, I promise you I'm doing everything I can to get full rights to you so we can start making cartoons again. I want nothing more than to see you acting again."

"I know..."

"Mickey is a lot like you, you know." Oswald flinched and Walt realized he had unintentionally struck a nerve. "Oswald—"

"Never mind. Good job on the cartoon..."

"...Thank you, Son."

"You're welcome..." Oswald got up and headed for the door.

"Oswald."

Oswald paused briefly. "What?"

"Please don't be like this."

"Why don't you go find Mickey then? I'm sure he'll give you less trouble."

"Oswald!"

Oswald didn't answer and began walking again until a firm tug on his arm stopped him in his tracks.

"How could you even think that?" Oswald didn't answer him. "Oswald, you're not any trouble at all!"

"Yeah, right."

"Why would you ever think that?"

"No reason."

"Oswald, stop that!"

"What?!"

"You know what." Oswald groaned and tried to pull away from him. "Why won't you talk to me?!" Walt exclaimed in frustration.

"There's nothing to talk about!"

"Yes, there is! You're upset about something and you won't tell me what."

"It's nothing you would understand! I'm fine!"

"Oswald, I'm your father, I'll always understand."

"Not this time."

"Oswald, what's happening to you?!"

"Nothing! I told you, I'm fine!"

Walt sighed in defeat. "Very well, Son. When you're ready to talk to me, I'm here."

Oswald didn't answer and quickly exited the room. Walt shook his head sadly. He couldn't believe this. Why wouldn't Oswald talk to him? They had always been able to tell each other anything before. It pained him deeply as a parent that Oswald didn't seem to trust him anymore.

Walking out, he noticed Mickey standing right outside the door to the preview room. He sighed, realizing he should've known the mouse's curiosity would get the better of him.

"I'm sorry you had to hear all that, Mickey."

"Why is he so upset?"

"He's just getting used to things is all..."

"Dad... why does he hate me?"

Walt crouched down to Mickey's level. "Now, Mickey, he does not hate you."

"Then why is he so mean?"

"I think he just needs more time to adjust to things is all..." Walt sounded somewhat unsure himself.

"Dad...?"

"Yes, Mickey?"

"...Can I ask you something without sounding rude?"

"Of course, Mickey. What is it?"

"Why do you keep helping him if he's being so rude to us?"

"Because he's my son and I care for him very much, just like I do you." Walt placed a hand on Mickey's shoulder. "Part of being a parent is being supportive through both the ups and downs. You'll understand someday."

"I understand, Dad," Mickey responded with a nod. "Was his life really that bad after you left?"

Walt gave a slight nod, a hint of guilt flashing in his eyes. He didn't know for sure, but judging from the nightmares Oswald had been having the first week he arrived home, it hadn't been pleasant.

"What was he like before all this happened?"

"He was very playful, friendly, and carefree, though somewhat troublesome at times. And I know he still is, deep down inside."

"Oh..." Mickey then looked down.

"What's wrong, Mickey?"

"Whatever it is, I think it has to do with me..."

Walt gently ran a hand down the side of Mickey's face, then gently lifted his chin up. "You have done nothing wrong, Mickey. I promise it will all work out soon, now don't you worry."

Mickey smiled. "Thank you, Dad."

Walt smiled back, rubbing Mickey's head. "Of course, Mickey."

"I guess I was more lucky than he was..."

"That's only because I made sure that the same thing would never happen to you."

As Mickey pondered this, memories suddenly came back to him in a flash.

* * *

A bright, blinding, white light enveloped what was once dark and lifeless. As his vision cleared, he awoke to find himself on a slanted surface. He looked around in confusion, unsure of where he was or what was going on. A man stood over him, examining him.

"Hmm... yes, I do believe you will do." The man gave him a warm smile. "Hello there."

"Uh... hello..."

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions, don't you?" the man said with a smile.

"...Y-Yes, Sir..."

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Walt Disney and I created you to be the star of a new series of cartoon shorts."

"Me? A star?!"

The man chuckled weakly, trying to ignore the small twinge of betrayal pulling at his heartstrings. "Yes, that's right."

"But why?"

"Because I believe you will be perfect for the job."

"Gosh... thanks, Mr. Disney."

"Of course," the man responded with a small smile as he gently picked the mouse up and set him on the floor.

"What is this place?" the toon asked as he began looking around the room.

"This is my house," Walt replied.

"It's a very nice house, Mr. Disney." the mouse said, walking out into the hallway. He then noticed the door to one of the bedrooms slightly ajar and went to take a closer look through the door crack.

"What's this room?" A sudden pull on his arm caught Mickey off guard and he gasped slightly in surprise as Walt led him away from the room.

"Oh that's nothing. Just an old guest room that we're cleaning out. Lillian wouldn't want you to see the mess. Come on downstairs, I want you to meet my wife."

"Oh... okay..." Mickey replied, a bit uneasily. Walt led him downstairs to where a woman was preparing dinner.

"Lillian Dear? I have someone I want you to meet."

She turned and looked at Mickey, seeming surprised for a second.

"Os—?!" she initially started to exclaim, but stopped herself as she noticed that this toon was different, lowering her voice. "...Oh, I'm sorry, I thought..." she spoke softly, her voice drifting off as she hastily wiped a tear from her eye. She then forced herself to put on a warm smile as she got down to Mickey's level. "My, aren't you a little darling! What's your name?"

"...I don't have one, Ma'am."

"Why, that's silly, everyone has a name!" Lilly looked up at Walt, expecting for an answer.

"Well, I was thinking of naming him "Mortimer Mouse."

Lillian gave him a slightly disgusted look. "Mortimer?! What are you thinking, giving him such a dreadfully pompous name as that?" She then turned to look at the mouse again, examining him. "Why, this little fellow looks more a Mickey to me."

Walt sighed and looked at the mouse. "Well, what do you think, Little Guy?"

"Mickey?" the mouse repeated, pausing to think for a moment. "I like it!"

Lilly glanced at Walt, smiling at her victory. "See? Mother knows best."

Walt shook his head slightly but smiled. "Of course, Dear. But it does seem to suit him."

"Mother?" Mickey questioned. Lilly hesitated to respond, glancing at Walt with an unsure, sad look. Walt gave her a reassuring nod. Lilly nodded and took a deep breath as she answered Mickey.

"Yes. We consider you family now."

Mickey paused, glancing over at Walt, then back at Lilly. "Why do you two look sad?"

Both Walt and Lilly froze for a moment.

"Oh, it's just—"

"—I recently lost my job," responded Walt, finishing her sentence.

"...Sorry about that."

"It's all right, I learned my lesson and I will never work for another man again. I now plan to start my own company, with your help."

"...You really think I can help?"

"Of course, that's why I created you."

"...I'll do my best, Sir!"

Walt smiled. "I'm sure you will."

hr

The following night, Mickey heard voices coming from down the hall. He slowly crept out of bed and into the hallway where one of the bedroom doors was open just a crack. He could hear Lilly weeping and out of curiosity, he peeked through the door crack.

"Shhh, it's all right, Dear," Walt comforted her.

"He looks just like him... It's like we're trying to replace him already..." Lilly responded, weeping. Walt hugged her.

"No... we could never replace him. But we need to move on for now. I can't stay out of work much longer."

Lilly sniffled. "I know... I just miss him so much..."

"I miss him too, Honey..."

It soon became quiet as they went to bed. Mickey secretly watched through the door crack as Walt gazed sadly at a picture in his hand before climbing into bed with Lilly.

_Who's "he?" Who are they talking about?_ he wondered as the lights blinked out.

* * *

"Mickey?"

Mickey blinked. "...Huh?"

"You all right?" Walt asked the mouse, who had been staring off into space for a while now.

"...I now know why you and Mom were so sad the day I was created."

Walt sighed. "Yes... we were still recovering from losing Oswald at the time..."

Mickey suddenly hugged him. "I didn't mean to make Mom cry..."

Walt wrapped his arms around Mickey, holding him close. "Now, Mickey... It's not your fault."

"I know..." He sniffled.

Walt squeezed him tight. "Shhh..." he coaxed, gently rubbing Mickey's back. "Everything's going to be all right."

Mickey relaxed a bit, snuggling in his arms. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, Mickey, very much so." He gave Mickey's forehead a little kiss.

* * *

**A/N:** This is more of a connector chapter to the next one. I've already written out much of the next chapter, so that one won't be as nearly long a wait. Some of the scenes in this chapter were recently planned and RPed out while others were done for a while, which is why this chapter took a while. Hope you enjoy this chapter!


	8. Breaking Point

_Chapter 8: Breaking Point_

_Now this will surely impress him!_ Oswald thought proudly to himself, putting his hands on his hips as he admired the nearly-completed wooden set models on his desk before proceeding to continue his work. Oswald worked carefully as he pieced together the wooden pieces using sticky glue, following the blueprints laid out in front of him. It had taken a couple weeks of work, but the models were finally coming along nicely. Just another day or two and they would be finished. Then suddenly, he heard a knock on his door. It startled him, making him drop the part he was working on.

"Yes?" Oswald called out, trying not to sound annoyed as he picked up the part that had fallen to the floor.

"It's me, Mickey..."

Oswald groaned. _Not him..._ "What do you want?"

"I just want to talk..."

"I'm very busy, go away."

"Please!"

Oswald groaned in annoyance. "Fine, but make it quick!"

Mickey slowly opened the door and crept in. "Hi..."

"Just try to stay out of my way." Oswald tried his best to ignore him as he continued working.

"What are you doing?" Mickey asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Working on models for Dad's movie. He asked me to do them for him to help with making the movie sets."

"Wow, that's really good!"

"Of course, it is. Now are you leaving yet?" Oswald knew he was being harsh, but he didn't like having Mickey in his private territory like this, especially when he had such an important project to get done.

"Can't I help?" Mickey asked with a hurt look.

"No."

Mickey sighed sadly and finally decided to give up. At least he had tried. Then, as he turned to leave, his foot suddenly caught on something in mid-step, causing him to trip and fall as he heard a huge crash behind him and a yelp all at once.

Mickey turned to see Oswald looking down in shock and horror at the shattered remains of his hard work on the ground.

"_No!_ I worked for _weeks_ on these!" Oswald looked so angry and upset that he even looked close to tears.

"I'm so sorry! It was an accident! I tripped on the table leg!" Mickey attempted to explain, but Oswald wouldn't have it.

"Why don't you go find someone else's life to ruin for once, You Annoying Little **_RAT_**!" Oswald snapped as he swung at him, knocking Mickey to the floor. Mickey got up and ran out of the room, crying.

"Yeah, you'd better run!" Oswald shouted after him as he bent down to pick up the broken model pieces. Tears formed in his eyes as he realized that it was probably beyond repair. All the hard work he had done for his father was gone in the blink of an eye, all because of _HIM_.

"What happened?!" Walt exclaimed, rushing in and spotting the mess. Oswald continued picking up the pieces, even though he knew it was hopeless to try and fix.

Walt came over to him. "Oswald, what happened?"

"He ruined it, that's what!"

"I'm sure he didn't mean to... I'll help you make more." Oswald was shaking with anger. "It's alright, Oswald."

"No, it's not!"

"It can be fixed, Son. Try and calm down..."

"It'll take forever to fix! I spent weeks on those!"

"I'll help you make new ones," Walt responded as Lilly came into the room. She gave Walt a stern look.

"I just talked with Mickey. He says Oswald punched him and called him a _'little rat'_ and told him he was ruining his life."

Oswald cringed back in fear, and looked away angrily, knowing he was in big trouble. Walt turned to him with a very displeased look.

"Oswald, is this true?" Oswald didn't respond and avoided looking in his direction.

_"Answer me!"_ Walt demanded.

Oswald flinched. "...M-Maybe..."

"Why would you do that?!"

"Because he deserved it," Oswald muttered angrily.

"What do you mean?!"

"He doesn't deserve my respect!"

"And why not?!"

"Because he's a little pest who sticks his nose where it doesn't belong!"

"What are you taking about?!"

"He ruins everything! I wish he didn't exist at all! Everything would be way better off without him!"

"Oswald, how could you say such a thing?! Mickey is a part of our family, and so are you! All he has done is try to make you feel at home."

"I don't care! He is _NOT_ my brother and he never will be!"

"Oswald, how could you be so cruel?! I cannot believe I'm hearing this from you!"

_He called me "cruel"... It's all over... That mouse has succeeded in tearing us apart..._

"Why do you always have to defend him?!" Oswald cried out as tears started forming in his eyes.

Walt's voice shifted to a very serious tone. "Oswald, I know this is hard for you, but what I'm really upset about is how you never gave Mickey a chance. You know how much I care for you and how much I love you, but you had no right to hurt him like that! _I am very disappointed in you._"

Those words felt like a stab in the heart, the last sentence echoing in his mind repeatedly. All his worst fears had come true. He had done something unforgivable and made his own father hate him. Of course Walt would never admit it, but Oswald knew it was true. It was all over. He had no place here anymore. The mouse had won.

"I see how it is..." Oswald said quietly in a depressed tone, tears beginning to roll down his cheeks. "Well, if he's not leaving, then I will. You can keep all my things, I don't want them anymore. Hope you enjoy your _real_ son who never disappoints you. Good-bye forever." And with those final words, he ran out of the house and down the street as fast as he could, as the shouts calling his name faded into the distance.

* * *

As Oswald was wandering the dark, moonlit streets, he soon heard a familiar voice calling his name. Panicking, he quickly took off in the opposite direction, his feet splashing through some old rain puddles as he ran blindly away from the voice. After a while, he paused to rest for a moment, then realized that the voice was now even closer.

_How does he do that?!_

Oswald took off again, splashing through more puddles until he suddenly screeched to a halt at the dead end of an alleyway. Turning to head back, he saw a figure at the other end of the alleyway blocking his escape route. He heard them call his name as they began running towards him. He frantically looked around until he spotted a nearby fire escape and quickly scrambled up it, his footsteps clanging against the metal steps. About halfway up, he heard a second set of footsteps clanging up the steps after him and he quickened his pace until he emerged onto the rooftop, suddenly realizing he had nowhere to go.

"Oswald!" Walt called out as he reached the rooftop.

"NO! Get away from me!" Oswald yelled, keeping his back to him.

"Why are you doing this?! Your mother is at home crying her eyes out!"

"What do you care? Just leave me alone!"

Walt stepped towards him and firmly grasped Oswald's arm.

"How could you even think I don't care about you?! I risked my job to get you back, Oswald!"

"Because I'm not good enough for you, and I never will be... Now please, just let me go!" Oswald had no idea where he planned to go, only that he just wanted to get away from here. But as Oswald struggled to get out of his grasp, Walt held firm, not letting him go.

"That's not true, Oswald. I couldn't be more proud of you."

**"LIAR!"** Oswald screamed, his pained voice ringing through the night air.

There was silence for a few moments. Then Oswald suddenly felt firm, yet gentle arms turn him around and wrap around him, pressing him close so that he could hear and feel the warm thumping of his father's heart against his chest.

"Don't you understand how much I care for you, Oswald?!" Walt's voice sounded broken. "It hurt me so much when I lost you, and there was nothing I could do! **_NOTHING!_**" His booming voice shook the rooftop for a moment, sending a chill through Oswald's body. His voice then softened once more. "I thought I had lost you forever..." Oswald felt a few drops of water land on his head as the continuing embrace tightened around him.

"I'm so sorry, Oswald... I've felt terrible about it all these years... But please understand, Son, I had to keep going to support your mother and I. The last thing I would EVER want to do is hurt you. You have no idea how much I love and care for you, Oswald, and how much it means to me to finally have you back." He gazed down into his arms at the large black oval eyes looking up at him, which held all the innocence and fear of a child; his child; his beloved child whom he could never fully express the depth of his love for.

"But... you said you were disappointed in me... Don't you hate me for all this?" Oswald asked in a soft tone.

"I was disappointed in you by how you were acting, but I would never hate you! I love you very much, Son. You are very important to me, and you always will be!"

Oswald sighed, looking down. "But I bet _Mickey_ would never disappoint you like this, huh?"

"Oswald, just because I have another son doesn't mean I don't care about you anymore. You have always been my first star, and you always will be. Nothing is going to change that."

"But you still like him better, don't you? You always spend more time with him, and you and everyone else think he's _just about the greatest thing alive!_ And now it's like I'm just an afterthought to you; old news..."

Walt hugged him close once more. "Now Oswald, I promise you I do not think of you as old news, or an afterthought, or as any less important than Mickey, or anyone else for that matter! I do not love him more than you and I don't ever want you to think that! I love you both the same." Walt sighed, pulling Oswald out of the embrace, taking his shoulders and looking him in the eyes sincerely. "Oh Oswald, how could you ever think I would stop caring about you and what we shared? You're always going to be My Lucky Little Star."

Oswald felt his eyes well up with tears. "You... you really mean that?"

"Of course I do, Oswald, very much so. You have nothing to be jealous of with your brother either. Mickey has his own talent just as you do, however, you failed to notice one important thing with him."

"...What's that?"

"How happy he was when he found out about you."

"Oh..." Oswald responded softly, feeling a bit guilty. "I... I'm sorry, I guess I was just a bit afraid..."

"Afraid of what?"

"That you might not need me anymore since you have him..."

Walt squeezed him tight. "Now, that's not true. I may have needed Mickey to fill your role, but I promise you, Oswald, he could never take your place in my heart. Ever."

"I-I..." Oswald felt his eyes fill up with more tears. "...I'm so sorry!" Oswald burst out crying, unable to hold it back any longer.

"Shhh, it's all right..." Walt coaxed as he comforted the sobbing little rabbit. "I just wish you would have told me sooner."

"I'm sorry, Dad... I'm so sorry..." said Oswald, tears pouring down his cheeks.

"Don't you ever run off like that again!" Walt said firmly, looking him in the eyes.

"I won't..." Oswald sniffled. "I'm really sorry, Dad... I didn't mean to be so selfish... I was just so confused and scared and... I didn't know what to do!"

"I know, Son, I know... and I'm sorry I made you feel that way. I never meant to hurt you."

"It's all right... Can you ever forgive me?" Oswald asked, his eyes glistening with tears in the moonlight.

"Of course I can, Oswald," Walt responded, giving him a reassuring hug. "Just as long as you promise to not be afraid to come to me from now on. I'm your father; I will always understand, Oswald."

"I promise, Dad..." Oswald answered with a nod. "Is there any way I can make it up to you?

"Yes. Can you promise me you'll give Mickey another chance, Oswald?"

Oswald hesitated. "But he's _so_ annoying..." he responded in somewhat of a whine.

Walt couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "You'll just have to get used to that. Promise me you'll try to get to know him, Oswald."

Oswald sighed. "All right, Dad, I promise."

Walt hugged him tightly and Oswald returned the embrace. "I'm glad you're safe." Oswald smiled in response. "Let's go home."

"Okay, Dad." Oswald followed him back through the darkness in the direction they had come. As they searched for the fire escape around the edge of the dimly moonlit roof, Oswald suddenly heard a stumbling noise and a yelp of surprise. Glancing over in the direction it had come from, time suddenly seemed to slow down for Oswald as he saw his creator hanging off the edge of the multi-story building. He didn't have a good grip on the slippery edge and his hand was quickly slipping.

"Dad!" Oswald rushed to his side and dove just as Walt's hand lost its grip, just barely managing to grab it.

"Oswald!"

Oswald strained and groaned. "I-I... got you... Dad..." he said, panting.

Walt tried with all his might to pull himself up, but to no avail. "Oswald, don't put yourself in danger..."

"I'm not letting you fall!" Oswald tried to pull him up, but found himself unable to lift someone more than five times his own weight. He desperately tried and tried, pulling with all his might, but it was just too much for the little rabbit. As his strength gradually depleted, he found himself struggling to hold onto Walt.

"Oswald..."

"N-No!" Oswald exclaimed, leaning farther over the edge, trying desperately to keep holding him as his strength began to give out on him.

"Oswald... don't!"

"And what?! Let you die?!"

"I'm too heavy for you..."

Tears welled up in Oswald's eyes. "I'm not letting you go! Never again..." He knew the weight was too much for him, but he let it drag him even further off the edge, barely hanging on to the rooftop.

"Oswald!"

Despite all the alarm signals going off in his body, Oswald refused with all his heart to let go of Walt. Soon his feet slipped off the building and they both screamed in terror as they were plunged into a free fall. Time seemed to slow down as Oswald's thoughts raced. No... this couldn't be the end. It just couldn't be! As he tightly gripped Walt's hand in mid-fall, something seemed to click in Oswald's mind.

Walt suddenly felt something stop him in mid-air and he glanced up in surprise to see Oswald above him, floating and spinning his ears like a helicopter. Using all the strength he could muster, Oswald slowly brought them down to the ground, where they lightly crumpled in a heap. Oswald panted heavily, having used up all his strength. As he laid on the ground recovering from the ordeal, Walt sat up and gave the exhausted little rabbit a big hug.

"That's my lucky rabbit."

Oswald smiled weakly as he tried to catch his breath. Walt got to his feet, lifting Oswald up with him and carrying him.

"Hidden talent," Oswald said with a smile, as if to provide an explanation. Walt chuckled and gave him a little kiss on the forehead as they headed for home.


	9. A New Beginning

_Chapter 9: A New Beginning_

"Look who I found," Walt said as he carried Oswald inside the house, setting him down on the floor as he shut the door.

"Oswald!" Lillian exclaimed as she rushed forward and hugged him tightly. "You had me worried sick! Don't you ever do that again!"

"I won't, Mom... I'm really sorry..."

She sighed. "Thank goodness you're alright," she said, stroking his head.

"Where's Mickey?" asked Walt.

"In his room. He won't come out... He's really upset..." she replied in a worried tone. Walt sighed and turned to Oswald, who gave a nervous smile and began whistling innocently.

"Oswald, I know that whistle."

"I know, isn't it catchy?"

"Oswald, you make that whistle when you know you've done something wrong."

"That's a common misconception."

Walt gave him a stern look. _"Oswald."_

"Yes, Dad?" Oswald responded with an innocent smile.

Walt rubbed Oswald's head. "Remember what we talked about earlier?"

"Which part?"

"About Mickey."

"What about him?"

"It wouldn't hurt to talk to him..."

"Hmm... yeah, you're right... Go right ahead, Dad. I'll be right here."

"Oswald, why don't you talk to him first."

"Nah, I insist you go first."

"Oswald, come on, you promised..."

Oswald sighed, finally giving up the 'playing dumb' act. "Oh fine already..." he mumbled, heading up the stairs to Mickey's room. He was still a bit reluctant, but he wasn't going to break his promise. Perhaps he had judged Mickey a bit harshly.

He cautiously approached the bedroom door and knocked. "Hello?"

_"Go away!"_ Mickey shouted from inside the bedroom.

Oswald sighed. "Look, I just want to apologize to you."

"Yeah, right!"

"Just let me come in and talk to you, okay?"

"Fine!" Mickey shouted back. Oswald cautiously opened the door and stepped in.

"...I um..." Oswald sighed. "I'm sorry for punching you..."

Mickey glared at him with tears in his eyes. "What did I ever do to you anyway?! Ever since Dad brought you back home, you've been nothing but mean to me!"

Oswald groaned and looked away. "It... it's a long story..."

"I didn't do anything to you!"

"Yes, you did!"

"What did I do?!"

"You stole my life, that's what!" Oswald shouted.

"What are you talking about?!" Mickey shouted back.

"Just who do you think you are anyway?! Calling my parents 'Mom' and 'Dad,' being my dad's main star, being a big hit and helping him out and being close to him... It's not fair!"

"They're my parents too! All I'm doing is living my life! I'm sorry for what happened to you, but that isn't my fault! I wasn't there! So stop blaming me for something someone else did!"

"Oh, just forget it! Like I could ever expect you to understand!"

"Understand what?! Understand that you were betrayed by someone you thought you could trust, who took away everything you loved?! You really think I can't paint a picture to a story, Oswald?!"

"You _still_ don't get it!"

"Then tell me what I don't get!"

"How would you feel if you finally got to see your family again after years of separation, only to find that they found someone to take your place who is better and more successful and more useful to them than you ever were?! And then you were forced to share everything that used to be special and just between you and them with a complete stranger?!"

Mickey paused for a few moments before responding.

"...Oswald... I would never try to take away anything from you, and I'm not taking your place! I'm just another family member, that's all. I'm not your replacement, and I am not better than you either... You just had a bad start, that's all. I'm sure that when Dad gets your full rights back, your old life will be back to the way it was. I was never trying to be anything more to you than a brother, but every time you looked at me, all you saw was someone to compete with. Never once did you ever look at me as a new member of the family!"

Oswald looked away. "...You just don't understand..."

"I never meant to make you feel that way... All I wanted was for you to accept me as part of the family..."

Oswald finally sighed. "I...I'm sorry..."

"I'm sorry for not understanding," Mickey replied. "I would never want to hurt you..."

"Sorry for punching you and being mean to you..."

Mickey smiled. "I forgive you. Sorry for being mean to you as well."

"It's fine..." Oswald responded awkwardly.

"Are we okay now?"

"I guess..." Oswald said, a bit unsure, rubbing the back of his own head with his hand. Mickey smiled a bit. "I, uh... guess we should start over then..."

"I would like that," Mickey replied.

Oswald held out his hand. "So... truce?"

Mickey took his hand and they shook. "Truce."

"Alright," Oswald said, giving a small smile. Mickey smiled back.

"I guess I'd better go talk to Mom and Dad."

"I guess so..."

"Everything okay?" Walt asked as they came out. They both nodded and Walt smiled. "I'm proud of you two."

"Yeah, yeah, don't get all sappy," Oswald responded in a joking way. Mickey giggled as Walt rubbed Oswald's head. "But I'm the favorite, right?" Oswald said, making a cute, innocent smile at Walt.

"Wow, Oswald, you're really gonna make Dad chose?"

"You're just jealous that I'm the favorite because I came first!" Oswald stuck his tongue out at Mickey.

"_Suuure,_ I am."

Walt sighed.

"Right, Dad?" Oswald looked at Walt.

"I love you both the same."

"Oh come on!" Oswald whined.

"Don't be rude, Oswald," said Walt.

"Should've known I'm not special anymore," Oswald muttered.

"That's not true!" Walt exclaimed in response. Oswald didn't respond and looked away from him. Walt crouched down, gently taking hold of Oswald's chin and turning Oswald's head to face him so that he could look him in the eyes. "You are more special to me than you'll ever know," Walt told him sincerely.

Oswald looked into his eyes, slowly smiling as the last of his doubts vanished. Walt pulled him into a tight hug and Oswald returned the hug. Then suddenly, the phone rang. Walt ended the embrace and went to answer it.

A few moments passed, then Oswald's ears perked up as he heard a jazzy tune coming from the piano.

"What are you playing?" Oswald asked, walking over to the piano.

"I don't really know," Mickey replied as he continued to play. "I found it in the attic. It's called _Trolley Troubles Tune._"

"What?!" Oswald exclaimed in shock. "I didn't know Dad made a tune for that!"

"It's catchy."

"It sounds like he made it to go with my first cartoon!" Oswald listened, trying to imagine the music going in sync with the cartoon.

"I like it!"

Oswald tapped his foot to the beat, then began swaying to the music, dancing as Mickey lightly laughed a bit at him. It was a sweet and much-needed release.

"Thank you, Sir," Walt said, hanging up the phone. "_YES!_" he shouted, running over and grabbing Oswald, then tossing him up in the air and catching him. "I WON!"

"WAH!" Oswald exclaimed in surprise and laughed as he was suddenly thrown airborne. "What?"

"The judge granted me full ownership of you and your cartoons! We can start making new cartoons with you!" Walt explained, grinning.

"That's wonderful, Dad!" Mickey responded.

Oswald gasped. "Really?! _YES!_" He grinned widely, hugging Walt tightly around the neck.

"Oof! Easy, Oswald, don't choke me now," Walt said lightly, with a smile.

"Oh, sorry," Oswald replied with a smile as he let go. Then they suddenly looked at each other and laughed simultaneously as they both thought back to Oswald's first day when he had nearly choked Walt with his tie.

"You're just out to get me, aren't you, My Little Rabbit?" Walt joked playfully.

Oswald giggled. "Darn, foiled again." Walt laughed along with him.

"Mom, did you hear that?! Oswald's back in cartoon business!" Mickey exclaimed as Lilly came into the room.

"Oh, that's absolutely wonderful!" she exclaimed, giving both Walt and Oswald a kiss and hug. Mickey watched them and smiled. Oswald hugged both his parents, snuggling against them.

"See? You really are lucky," said Mickey.

"Of course I am." Oswald smirked, sticking his tongue out at him.

(A/N: This chapter is on the shorter side but it should nicely wrap up the climax scene. This would have made a decent ending, I suppose, but it's not going to be ending here. There's still many more scenes to do now that Mickey and Oswald are getting on better terms with each other, such as bonding and whatnot. :) Well, hope you enjoy.)


End file.
